Finish applicator for a continuous filament yarn



April 5, 1966 w. D. WALKER FINISH APPLICATOR FOR A CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN Filed June 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.!

BY 94/v-CA ATTORNEY April 1956 w. D. WALKER 3,244,142

FINISH APPLICATOR FOR A CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN Filed June 20, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR WILLIAM D. WALKER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,244,142 FINISH APPLICATOR FUR A CONTINUOUS FILAMENT YARN Wiiliam D. Walker, Kinston, N.C., assignor to E. I. du Pont de Nernours and Company, Wilmington, Del., a

corporation of Delaware Filed June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 289,333 1 Claim. (Cl. 118-123) This invention relates to apparatus for applying finish to a continuous filament yarn.

It is well recognized in the art that uniform application of textile finishes to continuous filament yarns is a prime requirement for acceptable textile processing. To a large extent, the kind and amount of finish on a yarn determines running tensions, hardness of wound packages, and tightness of weaves and knits. Indirectly, these can influence dyeability, luster and over-all quality of the final fabrics. Once a satisfactory finish formulation and level of application have been established, it is important to the uniformity and quality of the final fabric that both are maintained within close tolerances.

Many methods of finish application are known in the art, for example, by contact of the yarn with a rotating roll which is partially immersed in a bath of finish maintained at a constant level, by dip of the yarn through the finish followed by expression of the excess between rolls, or by means of a spray. Selection of a given method is based on the requirements of the specific process employed in fiber manufacture. It is generally preferred to add the controlled-amount of finish as late as practicable in the manufacturing process to avoid loss of uniformity as a result of subsequent manipulations of the yarn. In many processes, however, particularly wherein the yarn is spun and drawn in a continuous operation, speed of yarn travel in late stages of manufacture are so high as to make it diflicult or impossible to achieve uniformity of application using methods known in the art. At very high speeds of yarn travel, the rate of wetting of the yarn by textile finishes may severely limit the quantity of finish which may be applied. Finish remaining on the finish-contacting surface of the yarn after it has left the point of application may be thrown off, leading to housekeeping problems, loss of valuable finish, and non-uniform retention of finish on the yarn.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide an improved apparatus for uniform application of textile finish to continuous filament yarn. A further object is to provide means for uniformly applying textile finish to yarn while traveling at high processing speed. Still another object is to provide such means for the uniform metering onto yarns of conditioning liquids which are not suitably handled in an open, recirculating system. Other objects will become apparent from the specification and claims.

In accordance with the present invention an improved apparatus is provided for positively supporting a multifilament yarn traveling at high speed and accurately metering a uniform layer of liquid conditioning agent onto the filament surfaces of the running yarn. This apparatus includes an applicator unit having a yarn groove of lateral dimensions sutficient to accommodate the filament bundle to be treated and a length sufiicient to provide time for uniform distribution of the liquid conditioning agent through the running yarn during passage from the lead end to the terminal end of the groove. The applicator unit is provided with an internal passageway having an exit orifice located near the lead end of the groove through which conditioning agent is metered onto the yarn. The orifice has a diameter small enough to be completely contained within the groove. Guide means may be provided in close proximity to the unit at the end of the groove for supporting the yarn so as to pass through the groove. The conditioning agent is introduced into said internal passageway by a metering pump at a rate which will supply the precise amount desired on the treated yarn, i.e., no excess is supplied.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is an isometric front elevation of the applicator unit,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, showing yarn passing through the groove, and

FIGURE 3 is a schematic representation of apparatus, including the applicator unit, for applying conditioning agent to yarn.

Referring to FIGURE 1, applicator unit 10 is in the shape of a-block having rectangular faces. For ease of construction it may be of two mating parts 12 and 14, which may be of metal or other suitable material of adequate durability. Groove '16 extends along the central axis of one face and is of such dimensions as to receive yarn '18 entirely within the groove, as shown in the detail of FIGURE 2, for instance. The unit is aligned with the path of the yarn (from a source to subsequent processing) so that the yarn passes smoothly through the groove. Yarn guides 20, 21 and 22 are indicated to control the path of the yarn at the terminal end of the groove. Passageways 24, 26 and 28 are provided within the unit for the conditioning agent to be applied to the yarn. Passageway 28 terminates in an exit orifice 13 in the groove, near the lead end of the groove. A funnel-shaped enlargement 1'7 is provided flaring out from a point immediately ahead of exit orifice 13 toward the lead end of groove 16, the purpose of the enlargement being to assist in easy string-up of the yarn bundle.

Referring to FIGURE 3, conditioning agent in reservoir 3t) flows through filter 31 to metering pump 32 and is pumped at a predetermined rate through relief valve 33 to the applicator unit 10. Within this unit 10, the conditioning agent flows through the passageways described above to the application orifice 13, at which point the agent is picked up by the yarn running through the groove 16. A groove of sutficient length is provided for complete sorption of the metered quantity of conditioning agent by the yarn before the yarn leaves the terminal end of the groove.

The design of the applicator unit in two matin parts 12 and '14 is especially advantageous if part 14 contains the passageway 26 which terminates in orifice 13. Orifices may then conveniently be varied to meet the needs of various yarns by providing alternative parts '12 in which orifice size and shape v-ary. In this manner, the degree of initial penetration of yarn 18 by the finish may be controlled as a function of finish velocity at orifice 13 without change in quantity applied.

While this invention has been illustrated by means of an applicator which employs a groove guide for the yarn at and beyond the point of finish application, other guiding means can be used to cause the yarn fibers to be arranged during their passage over the finish application orifice and the surface of the applicator downstream thereof in such a manner as to bring about complete sorption of the finish metered thereto before the yarn leaves the trailing edge of the applicator.

The major advantage of the apparatus of this invention lies in the higher processing speeds which may be employed without unacceptable non-uniformity in finish application. Thus, in some of the tests to which this invention has been subjected, the yarn moved at the rate of 3000 yards per minute; the continuity and uniformity of application of the finish was nevertheless found highly satisfactory, and this is a result not readily attainable by hitherto common modes of finish application.

This invention also possesses greatly increased flexibility in mounting, due to its small size and to its design, which makes it possible to adapt it to yarn running in any direction.

Since the finish is not recirculated, contact with air or moisture before application can be minimal. This is an advantage where stability of a finish emulsion may be dependent on excluding contaminants such as oxygen or Water.

This invention is also of advantage in application of finishes having high viscosity at room temperature, since it can be adapted to heat such finishes prior to application on the yarn. It also is of special advantage in application of finishes which wet the yarn surface slowly. Because of its high degree of accuracy in application, it can also be used to apply two or more finish components by mounting two or more units in sequence; this feature is important where lack of compatibility of the several components in a formulation leads to emulsion instability. If such finishes be applied from a single emulsion, they may give a disproportionate application of the various ingredients yard-to-yard along the yarn length.

I claim as my invention:

Apparatus for applying liquid finish to a running continuous length of textile yarn comprising a solid supporting body presenting a substantially fiat surface adapted for mounting parallel to, and in contact with, the threadline of a running continuous length of textile yarn and presenting a leading edge and a trailing edge to the said running yarn, an open groove disposed completely across the said fiat surface and along the said receiving and transmitting a liquid finish to the said groove, the said system communicating with the said open groove through a metering orifice in the said groove located near the leading edge of the said surface, the said groove from the said orifice to the said trailing edge being of a constant Width sufficient to accommodate the said running yarn as a bundle and of even depth and of sufficient depth to completely accommodate the said running yarn within the plane of the said surface, the said groove from immediately adjacent the said orifice to the said leading edge providing a flared-out, funnelshape-d enlargement to the said groove to assist in yarn string-up, pumping means to supply a flow of the said liquid finish at the said orifice, the said pumping means and orifice being adaptable to supply by cooperative adjustment that quantity of liquid finish which will uniformly wet the said running yarn and still permit complete sorption of the said liquid finish upon the said running yarn before the said running yarn leaves the said trailing edge. 1

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,561,445 11/1925 Elsaesser et a1.

1,934,796 11/1933 Friederich 11840 2,199,411 5/ 1940 Lewis.

2,402,313 6/ 1946 Burke 68--205 2,413,413 12/1946 McDermott 68205 2,675,690 4/1954 Griset 68205 X 2,705,881 4/1955 Greenwalt et al 68205 3,073,000 1/1963 Gonsalves 2859.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 499,077 11/1950 Belgium.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner. 

